A fresh suit against human ceremonies in God's worship. Or a triplication unto. D.…A fresh suit against human ceremonies in God's vvorship. Or a triplication unto. D.…

Simony.

8. Of this, it was asked, if it were so ordinary either in the Primitive Church, or (almost) in the Popish, as it is in England? Here the Rejoynd. venteth a proverb, that almost saveth many a lye; adding, that the Papists faces are washed with fair water, and foul water cast upon us: and then telleth of a Canon imposing an oath for prevention of Simony: and not only the guilty man looseth his place, but the Patron his title, for that time. Now though all this be nothing to the Primitive Churches face, yet it is not so to be passed over. For (to begin with the last) 1. The course taken against Simony, which he speaketh of, is no Canon of the Convocation house, but a Parliament-law. Canons (I hope) do not deprive Patrons of their title, which they have by civill inheritance, as the Rejoinder told us even now. 2. This oath imposed (if it be generally urged) doeth make our English Simony worse then that which is found among Papists, as adding perjury unto it. 3. Because the Rej. will not take the considerate limitation of almost, in other sense, then as if it were the cover of a lye, I am content it be left out, and then desire him to prove the assertion a lye. If he cannot, it had been sufficient for him (who so familiarly accuseth others of scurrility) to have denied that which was said, putting us to prove it. And prove it ⟨p. 419⟩we can (so far as vices of that nature use to be proved) by the general voice, even of conformable men. Doctor Andrewes (long since) in a latin Sermon before the Convocation, told them enough, after his playing fashion: They give out, ¹that not only we Minorites do with money, or more basely purchase our Parsonages, but also you Majorities do either with great sums of money, or with the spoils of the Churches, unworthily huckster your Cathedral places, of which disease our Church hath long been sick, and for which it hath long been ill spoken of: Did his fere, or almost all save a ly? If it did then, now it hath not so much to save. For many conformable men, will almost (if I may use that word with good leave) swear, that nothing hath hindered them all their days, from Benefices, and kept them in Curateships, but only the general abuse of Simony. Every Page, and Lackey, at the Court, and many Scriveners, can tell, how much this and that Bishop, or Dean, gave to such or such a Buckingham;